Support for portable drilling machines or the like

ABSTRACT

A SUPPORT FOR PORTABLE DRILLING MACHINES COMPRISES A COLUMN EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM A WORK SUPPORTING BASE, A CLAMP MOVABLE ALONG THE COLUMN, AN ARM MOVABLE ALONG THE COLUMN WITH REFERENCE TO THE CLAMP AND HAVING MEANS FOR HOLDING A DRILLING MACHINES SO THAT THE TIP OF THE DRILLING TOOL EXTENDS TOWARD THE BASE, AND A FEED DEPTH SELECTING DEVICE INCLUDING AN EXTERNALLY THREADED GAGE IN A VERTICAL BORE OF THE ARM AND A LOCKING BOLT HAVING THREADS WHICH NORMALLY MATE WITH THE THREADS OF THE GAGE. THE BOLT CAN BE DISENGAGED FROM THE GAGE IN RESPONSE TO APPLICATION OF FINGER PRESSURE AND THE GAGE ABUTS AGAINST THE CLAMP WHEN THE ARM MOVES THE MACHINE TO THE LOWERMOST POSITION IN WHICH A WORKPIECE MOUNTED ON THE BASE IS FORMED WITH A HOLE OF DESIRED DEPTH. A SCALE ON THE ARM COOPERATES WITH AN INDEX ON THE CLAMP TO INDICATE THE POSITION OF THE ARM WITH REFERENCE TO THE CLAMP.

Sept. 20, 1971 DIETERLE ETAL 3,606,558

SUPPORT FOR PORTABLE DRILLING MACHINES OR THE LIKE Filed July 17, 1969 s Sheets-Sheet 1 f I6 30 12 47 T: I

a 37 13 v. fi l I f6? L Y I V v o [a "'E 25 I w I I .3! y J3 I P76 6 J 13 953 52 I I M 15 l 37 I M I w 6 r m/ A? jTZ T.. I /7 //VV-7V70P5 Arbmfl/fripu 4mm flirr/c/l Mm PAUL? er/rard V0651 WaxBflPHl/V M Wrap/w y Sepf. 20, 1971 DlETERLE ETAL 3,606,558

SUPPORT FOR PORTABLE DRILLING MACHINES OR THE LIKE Filed July 17, 1969 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 4129290 flrrr/z/l M/r/ /wzr [bar/lard @661 War B17044 //v A'cAaJ fi m" 6/" be/MrraPA/EV Sept 20, 1971 DlETERLE ETAL 3,606,558

SUPPORT FOR PORTABLE DRILLING MACHINES OR THE LIKE Filed July 17, 1969 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Sept. 20, 1971 LE ETAL 3,606,558

SUPPORT FOR PORTABLE DRILLING MACHINES OR THE LIKE Filed July 17, 1969 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORS Herbert DIE TE RLE Alfred HEN/CH Kurf PAULE E berhar d VOGE L Max BUR/(LIN J. Audit! their A TTORNEV Sept. 20, 1971 H. DIETERLE EI'AL SUPPORT FOR PORTABLE DRILLING MACHINES OR THE LIKE Filed July 17, 1969 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 l i INVENTORS Herbert DIE TE RLE Alfred HE N /CH Kurt PAULE Eberhard VOGE L Max BURKL/N United States Patent Oflice 3,606,558 Patented Sept. 20, 1971 many Filed July 17, 1969, Ser. No. 842,463 Claims priority, application Germany, July 24, 1968, P 17 52 837.9 Int. Cl. B23b 45/14, 49/00 US. Cl. 40816 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A support for portable drilling machines comprises a column extending upwardly from a work supporting base, a clamp movable along the column, an arm movable along the column with reference to the clamp and having means for holding a drilling machine so that the tip of the drilling tool extends toward the base, and a feed depth selecting device including an externally threaded gage in a vertical bore of the arm and a locking bolt having threads which normally mate with the threads of the gage. The bolt can be disengaged from the gage in response to application of finger pressure and the gage abuts against the clamp when the arm moves the machine to the lowermost position in which a workpiece mounted on the base is formed with a hole of desired depth. A scale on the arm cooperates with an index on the clamp to indicate the position of the arm with reference to the clamp.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to supports or stands for portable power tools, particularly to improvements in supports for portable drilling machines. Still more particularly, the invention relates to improvements in feed depth selecting devices which are provided on such supports to determine the depth of holes which are to b drilled into workpieces.

It is known to mount a portable drilling machine on an arm which is movable up and down along a column and to place a workpiece onto a base which supports the column and is located below the material removing tool of the machine. The utilization of a support or stand is particularly desirable when the workpieces must be formed with holes of accurately determined depth and when drilling tool must be moved into the workpiece by exertion of a substantial pressure. It is also known to provide such supports or stands with feed depth gages which serve as a means for selecting in advance the extent to which the tool can penetrate into the workpiece which is mounted on the base of the support. As a rule, the arm which supports the portable drilling machine is reciprocable along the column by means of a lever or a like manually operated part. The feed depth gage of a conventional support normally comprises a smooth-surfaced pin which is mounted in a bore of the arm and is movable to an infinite number of positions in each of which it can be fixed by means of a locking screw or the like. When the arm reaches the lower end of its feed movement, the tip of the smooth-surfaced pin engages a clamp which is adjustably mounted on and is movable lengthwise of the column. It is also known to employ an externally threaded gage which meshes with an internally threaded portion of the arm so that it can move to a selected position in response to rotation relative to the arm.

A drawback of the just described feed depth gages is that they cannot be properly adjusted without resorting to a trial and error procedure. Therefore, such gages are not practical for use in connection with drilling machines which are employed to drill holes of difierent depth into each of a series of successive workpieces. This is due to the fact that too much time is lost for adjustment of the gage prior to each drilling operation. Moreover, such gages are not suited for manipulation by tinkers in do-ityourself workships because an unskilled person is unlikely to properly adjust the gage prior to starting of a drilling operation. Another drawback of many presently known feed depth gages is that they are free to fall out of their bore by gravity as soon as the clamping screw is loosened. This often leads to losses and lengthy interruptions in use of the drilling machine. As a rule, such conventional gages have found acceptance mainly in repair shaps and in smaller plants where a large number of workpieces must be provided with holes of identical depth so that the gage need not be adjusted at frequent intervals. Externally threaded gages are less likely to become lost or misplaced; however, substantial adjustments consume much time because the gage must be rotated for an extended period of time if its axial position is to be changed to a considerable extent.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of our invention is to provide a novel and improved support for portable power tools, particularly for portable drilling machines, wherein the device which carries the portable tool can be rapidly, accurately and conveniently moved to any one of a large number of positions to thus select the depth of holes which are to be drilled in a workpiece.

Another object of the invention is to provide a support for portable power tools with a novel and improved feed depth selecting device which can be readily manipulated not only by skilled workmen but also by persons having little technical skill.

A further object of the invention is to provide a feed depth selecting device which can be rapidly adjusted to effect substantial changes in depth of successively drilled holes but which is also capable of permitting precise setting of the drilling tool for drilling of bores having an accurately determined depth.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a support for portable power tools with novel tool carrying and clamping devices.

Still another object of the invention is to provide the support with a novel system of scales and pointers which facilitate visual observation of the position of the tool carrying device to thus enable an operator to rapidly and accurately set the feed depth selecting device prior to drilling of a hole.

An ancillary object of the invention is to provide the support with novel means for moving the tool carrying device with reference to the column.

The improved support comprises a base, a column extending upwardly from and preferably anchored in the base, a locating device (e.g., a clamping member) movable along the column, a capstan screw or other suitable means for releasably securing the locating device to the column, an arm or another suitable carrier device movable along the column relative to the locating device and provided with suitable tool supporting means which is preferably designed to support a power tool in such position that the tip of the material removing tool extends downwardly toward a workpiece which is mounted on the base, a lever or other suitable means for moving the carrier device with reference to the column, and feed depth selecting means including a preferably stud-shaped gage mounted on one of the devices for movement in the axial direction of the column to one of a plurality of positions in each of which the gage permits the carrier device to move through a different distance with reference to the locating device, and locking means mounted on the one device and movable between first and second positions in which it respectively engages with and is disengaged from the gage. In accordance with a presently preferred embodiment of our invention, the gage and the locking means are provided with complementary threads which mate with each other in the first position of the locking means. Thus, the axial position of the gage can be rapidly changed by moving the locking means to second position so that the gage is free to move in the axial direction of the column (coarse adjustment). If a fine adjustment is desired, the gage is rotated with reference to the locking means while the latter dwells in the first position.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The improved support itself, however, both as to its construction and the mode of manipulating the same, together with additional features and advantages thereof, will be best understood upon perusal of the following detailed description of certain specific embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a plan view of a support which embodies one form of the invention, with certain parts shown in sectron;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the support, with a portion of the base shown in vertical section;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectional view as seen in the direction of arrows from the line IIIIII of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an end elevational view of the support as seen from the left-hand side of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a view of a detail as seen in the direction of arrow V in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a view as seen in the direction of arrow VI in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary end elevational view of a second support; and

FIG. 8 is a horizontal sectional view as seen in the direction of arrows from the line VIIIVIII of FIG. 7.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the drawing in detail, there is shown a support or stand for a portable drilling machine, not

shown. The support comprises a base 11 which preferably consists of cast aluminum or other light metal and is formed with grooves 12 for clamping devices which secure a workpiece, not shown. The base 11 is further provided with recessed eyes 13 for the passage of bolts which secure it to a bench, table or the like, not shown. The upper surface of the base 11 is flat and smooth and one of its narrower sides is formed with an upright sleeve or socket 14 having a bore 15 for a steel column 16 of cylindrical outline. The column 16 may be a rod or a tube. The axis of this column is normal to the upper surface of the base 11.

The column 16 serves as a guide for a substantially rectangular clamping member 17 which is movable therealong and can be arrested and fixed in a selected position by a capstan screw 18 having a tommy bar 18a. The stem 28 of the screw 18 meshes with a nut 19 which is provided on the clamping member 17. The column 16 further supports a vertically movable supporting arm or carrier device 20 which has a bore 36 for reception of a portion of a portable drilling machine. The clamping member 17 serves as a locating device for the arm 20, i.e., it determines the maximum extent to which the arm is movable relative to the column 16. The arm 20 comprises a box-shaped end portion 23 provided with two eyes 21, 22 which flank the clamping member 17 and are slidably guided by the column 16. The distance between the eyes 21, 22 and the height of the clamping member 17 determine the maximum extent to which the arm 20 is movable with reference to the column 16 when the clamping member is fixed in position by the screw 18. The eyes 21, 22 respectively constitute the lower and upper parts of the box-shaped portion 23. The aforementioned nut 19 of the clamping member 17 faces a vertically extending wall of the box-shaped portion 23, and such wall is provided with an elongated slot 24 extending in parallelism with the column 16. The portion 23 carries or is integral with vertical Ways 25 which flank the slot 24 and have precision finished vertical surfaces serving to guide a rectangular follower 26 which is provided with a bore 27 for the stem 28 of the screw 18. That portion of the stem 28 which is outwardly adjacent to the follower 26 is straddled by the prongs of the partially bifurcated end of a two-armed shifting lever 29. As best shown in FIG. 2, the right-hand end portion of the lever 29 has an elongated slot 30 which receives the stem 28 of the screw 18. When the screw 18 is driven home so that it holds the clamping member 17 against movement along the column 16, the head 31 of the screw 18 limits the play of the lever 29 in axial direction of the stem 28. A pressure transmitting stud 32 in the bore of the nut 19 serves to engage the peripheral surface of the column 16 when the screw 18 is applied to thereby hold the clamping member 17 against axial movement and to simultaneously locate the arm 20 at a desired level above the base 11 in such a way that the arm can move up and down in response to pivoting of the lever 29. The axial length of the stud 32, together with the axial length of two rigid steel washers 33, determines theextent of clearance with which the end portion of the lever 29 is received between the washers 33 when the stud 32 engages the column 16. The other end portion of the lever 29 is provided with a manually operated handle 34.

That end portion 35 of the arm 20 which is remote from the box-shaped portion 23 serves as a power tool supporting means and is formed with a slot 3511 which communicates with the bore 36 for the drilling machine. A second capstan screw 37, having a tommy bar 37a, is provided on the end portion 35 to facilitate proper clamping and rapid disengagement of a drilling machine from the arm 20. A median portion of the arm 20 is provided with a horizontal pivot pin 38 for the lever 29. The pivot pin 38 carries an elastic washer 39 which is outwardly adjacent to the lever 29. A helical torsion spring 40 surrounds a sleeve 41 which forms part of the arm 20 and accommodates the pivot pin 38. One end portion 401: of the spring 40 is hooked and engages the left-hand arm of the lever 29 (as viewed in FIGS. 1 or 2) to bias the lever in a clockwise direction. The other end portion of the spring 40 is anchored in or otherwise secured to the arm 20. When the spring 40 is free to pivot the lever 29, the latter assumes the upper end position of FIG. 2 in which the lower eye 21 engages the underside of the clamping member 17.

The upper part of the box-shaped portion 23 of the arm 20 is thicker than the eye 21 and is provided with a vertical cylindrical bore 42 for a feed depth gage 43. The gage 43 is a cylindrical stud and its major part is formed with external threads. The upper end portion of the gage 43 is knurled or milled so that it can be readily engaged and rotated by fingers. The lower end portion of the gage 43 can move into abutment with an upper surface of the clamping member 17. The means for locating the gage 43 in selected position of axial adjustment with reference to the arm 20 comprises a locking bolt which extends through a blind rectangular horizontal passage or bore 44 of the portion 23 and is normally biased into locking engagement With the threaded portion of the gage 43. As shown in FIG. 6, one of the vertical walls which surround the bore 44 is located in a plane which includes the axis of the gage 43, and FIG. 3 shows that one side surface of the locking bolt 45 has a notch 45a which can readily accommodate the adjoining threaded portion of the gage 43 so that the latter is then free to move up or down in parallelism with the column 16. The locking bolt 45 is further provided with a smaller notch 45b which can receive the adjoining externally threaded portion of the gage 43 and is formed with internal threads which then mate with the threads of the gage so that the latter is held against uncontrolled axial movement in the bore 42. The internal threads in the notch 45b of the locking bolt 45 preferably extend along an arc which does not exceed 90 degrees. This facilitates the machining of such internal threads. A helical detent spring 46 in the innermost portion of the bore 44 biases the locking bolt 45 outwardly so that the threads in the recess 45b then engage the complementary threads on the gage 43 to hold the latter in selected axial position. In order to disengage the gage 43, the operator simply depresses the locking bolt 45 so that the notch 45a receives the adjoining portion of the gage with sufiicient clearance to permit rapid axial displacement of the gage. The combined length of the notches 45a, 45b (as seen in the longitudinal direction of the locking bolt 45) equals or approximates one-and-one-half times the diameter of the threaded portion of the gage 43. That portion of the locking bolt 45 which is formed with the smaller notch 45b can be said to form part of a nut which can be brought into mesh with the gage 43 when the spring 46 is free to expand and which can be disengaged from the gage in response to depression of the bolt 45. Once the bolt 45 is disengaged from the gage 43, the latter can descend by gravity to engage the clamping member 17, or the gage can be lifted by hand to move upwardly and away from the clamping member. The parts 43, 45 together constitute a feed depth selecting means and the gage 43 constitutes an element which determines the extent to which the arm 20 can move relative to the clamping member 17.

' A part of the box-shaped portion 23 is formed with a rectangular window 47 which receives a transparent pane 48 preferably consisting of synthetic plastic material and permitting observation of an index 49 on the clamping member 17. If desired, the pane 48 can be riveted onto the portion 23 so that it overlaps the window 47. This pane is formed with a vertical scale whose graduations indicate the position of the lower end of the gage 43 and serve to facilitate proper setting of the arm 20 so as to insure that the material removing tool of the drilling machine which is affixed to the arm 20 can drill a hole of desired depth. The index 49 of the clamping member 17 registers with the zero graduation on the scale of the pane 48 when the arm 20 is moved to the uppermost position with reference to the clamping member. The lower end of the gage 43 registers with the zero graduation of such scale when the gage 43 is permitted to descend all the Way so that it abuts against the upper surface of the clamping member 17 Such upper surface is located at the level of the index 49.

The operation:

A workpiece is placed onto the upper surface of the base 11 and is thereupon clamped to the base subsequent to proper orientation. The drilling machine is assumed to be mounted on and secured to the arm 20 so that a portion thereof extends into the bore 30 and that the tip at the lower end of the tool exends downwardly toward the base 11. The screw 18 is thereupon loosened so that the clamping member 17 can be shifted in order to move the arm 20 to one of a range of satisfactory positions for the drilling of a hole. The tommy bar 18a is thereupon rotated to cause the stud 32 to move into requisite engagement with the column 16 and to thus hold the clamping member 17 against axial movement.

The operator then pivots the lever 29 by grasping the handle 34 until the tip of the tool engages the upper side of the workpiece on the base 11. Once the tip engages the workpiece at the point where the bore is to be drilled therein, the operator reads the position of the index 49 with reference to the scale on the pane 48. In the next step, the operator removes the workpiece from the base 11 and again pivots the lever 29 to move the arm 20 downwardly until the index 49 registers with that graduation of the scale on the pane 48 which is indicative of the desired depth of the hole. Thus, the operator must memorize the first reading and he must thereupon move the arm 20 downwardly to a second position beyond the memorized position through a distance which corresponds to the desired depth of the hole. The operator then holds the lever 29 to maintain the index 49 in registry with the selected graduation and depresses the locking bolt 45 so that the latter is disengaged from the gage 43 and the gage is free to descend by gravity in order to move into abutment with the clamping member 17. The locking bolt 45 is then released so that the gage 43 is automatically locked in a position which is indicative of the desired depth of the hole to be drilled in the particular position of the clamping member 17. Accurate adjustments can be effected by rotating the gage 43 with reference to the bolt 45 and arm 20. The arm 20 is then permitted to return to its upper end position (in which its lower eye 21 abuts against the clamping member 17) and the workpiece is again secured to the upper side of the base 11 in an optimum position for drilling of the hole. The drilling then proceeds by starting the motor of the drilling machine and by pivoting the lever 29 until the tip of the gage 43 engages the upper surface of the clamping member 17 This prevents further penetration of the tool into the workpiece and the operator thereupon lifts the arm 20 and disengages the workpiece from the base 11.

A skilled workman can properly set the gage 43 without removing the workpiece from the base 11. Thus, once the tip of the tool engages the surface of a workpiece which is secured to the base 11, the workman rotates the gage 43 to move it to a position in which the distance between its lower end and the index 49 of the clamping member 17 corresponds to the desired depth of the hole to be drilled in the workpiece. The lower end of the gage 43 can be observed through the pane 48. In reading the position of the lower end of the gage 43, the workman must take into consideration the parallax.

The structure of FIGS. 1-6 can be slightly modified for the purpose of insuring that even an unskilled or semi-skilled Workman need not remove the workpiece in order to properly set the gage 43 prior to drilling a hole of desired depth. The gage 43 is then provided with an index 49' (FIGS. 7 and 8) which can be observed behind the pane 48 (without any consideration of the parallax) to indicate the position of the gage with reference to the scale on the pane 48. Once the workpiece is mounted on the base 11 and is properly clamped thereto, the arm 20 is moved to one of a range of satisfactory positions and the lever 29 is then pivoted to move the arm 20 downwardly until the tip of the tool engages the workpiece. The Workman then reads the position of the index 49' with reference to the scale on the pane 48. The gage 43 is then adjusted in such a way that its index 49' registers with a graduation whose distance from the graduation pinpointed by the index 49 equals the desired depth of the hole to be drilled in the workpiece. Rapid setting of the gage 43 can be effected by depressing the locking bolt 45 and by thereupon moving the gage to desired position. If a precision adjustment is needed, the bolt 45 is released to move its nut (notch 45b) into mesh with the gage 43, and the latter is thereupon rotated with reference to the bolt 45 and arm 20. The drilling operation can begin as soon as the gage 43 assumes the desired position.

It is possible to further simplify the manipulation of the gage 43 so that the workman need not even perform any additions and/or subtractions. This can be achieved by mounting the pane 48' for movement in longitudinal direction of the gage 43 and by providing means (rail 50 and screw 51 in FIGS. 7 and 8) for releasably fixing the pane 48' in selected position of adjustment. The gage and the clamping member 17 are provided with indices which are observable behind the pane. The workpiece is mounted on and secured to the base 11, and the lever 29 is pivoted to move the arm 20 downwardly until the tip of the tool engages the workpiece. Instead of reading the position of the index 49 with reference to the scale on the pane 48', the latter is moved until the index 49 registers with zero graduation. The gage 43 is thereupon adjusted so that its index 49 registers with that graduation which indicates the desired depth of the hole to be drilled in the workpiece (e.g., in millimeters). The numeral 50 denotes a guide rail or frame member for the pane 48'.

It is clear that the improved support is susceptible of many modifications without departing from the spirit of our invention. For example, the pane 48 or 48' can be mounted on the clamping member 17. Also, the pane 48 or 48 can be replaced by an opaque scale if the gage 43 and/or the clamping member 17 is provided with an index (e.g., a needle) which is movable in front of such opaque scale. Furthermore, the gage 43 and the locking bolt 45 can be mounted on the clamping member 17.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features which fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic and specific aspects of our contribution to the art.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

1. A support for portable drilling machines or like power tools, comprising a base; a column extending upwardly from said base; a locating device on said column; a carrier device movable along said column and having power tool supporting means; means for moving said carrier device with reference to said column; and feed depth selecting means including an externally threaded gage mounted on one of said devices for movement in the axial direction of said column to one of a plurality of positions in each of which the gage permits the carrier device to move through a different distance with reference to said locating device, and locking means having an internally threaded portion and confined in said one device for movement substantially tangentially of said gage between first and second positions in which said internally threaded portion thereof respectively engages with and is disengaged from the external threads of said gage, said gage being movable in the axial direction of said column in the first position of said locking means in response to rotation of the gage with reference to said one device and said gage being freely movable in the axial direction of said column in the second position of said locking means.

2. A support as defined in claim 1, wherein said one device is provided with a cylindrical bore for said gage and with a passage which extends substantially at right angles to said bore and confines said locking means to said movement substantially tangentially of said gage, the axis of said passage crossing in space with the axis of said bore.

3. A support as defined in claim 1, wherein said column is mounted on said base and wherein the means for moving said carrier device with reference to said column comprises a lever, said power tool supporting means comprising means for clampingly securing a power tool to said carrier device and said locating device being adjustable lengthwise of said column.

4. A support as defined in claim 1, further comprising means for biasing said locking means to the first position thereof.

5. A support as defined in claim 1, wherein the threads of said internally threaded portion extend along an arc which at most equals 90 degrees.

6. A support for portable drilling machines or like power tools, comprising a base; a column extending upwardly from said base; a locating device on said column;

a carrier device movable along said column and having power tool supporting means; means for moving said carrier device with reference to said column; feed depth selecting means including a gage mounted on one of said devices for movement in the axial direction of said column to one of a plurality of positions in each of which the gage permits the carrier device to move through a different distance with reference to said locating device, and locking means mounted on said one device and movable between first and second positions in which said locking device respectively engages with and is disengaged from said gage, said gage being movable in the axial direction of said columin in the first position of said locking means in response to rotation of the gage with reference to said one device; scale means provided with graduations indicating different feed depths; first index means arranged to pinpoint graduations on said scale means, said scale means being provided on one of said devices and said index means being provided on the other device; and second index means provided on said gage and arranged to pinpoint on said scale the position of said gage with reference to that device which is provided with said scale means.

7. A support for portable drilling machines or like power tool, comprising a base; a column extending upwardly from said base; a locating device on said column;

a carrier device movable along said column and having power tool supporting means; means for moving said carrier device with reference to said column; feed depth selecting means including a gage mounted on said carrier device for movement in the axial direction of said column to one of a plurality of positions in each of which the gage permits the carrier device to move through a different distance with reference to said locating device, and locking means mounted on said carrier device and movable between first and second positions in which said locking means respectively engages with and is disengaged from said gage, said gage being movable in the axial direction of said column in the first position of said locking means in response to rotation of the gage with reference to said carrier device; scale means provided on said carrier device; and index means provided on said locating device adjacent to said scale means to indicate the position of said devices with reference to each other, said locating device being provided with a stop surface located at the level of said index means and arranged to arrest said gage when the latter descends by gravity in response to movement of said locking means to the second position thereof.

8. A support for portable drilling machines or like power tools, comprising a base; a locating device on said column; a carrier device movable along said column and having power tool supporting means; means for moving said carrier device with reference to said column; feed depth selecting means including a gage mounted on one of said devices for movement in the axial direction of said column to one of a plurality of positions in each of which the gage permits the carrier device to move through a different distance with reference to said locating device, and locking means mounted on said one device and movable between first and second positions in which said locking means respectively engages with and is disengaged from said gage, said gage being movable in the axial direction of said column in the first position of said locking means in response to rotation of the gage with reference to said one device; scale means mounted on said carrier device for movement in the axial direction of said column; and index means provided on said locating device and cooperating with said scale means to pinpoint the position of said carrier device with reference to said locating device.

9. A support for portable drilling machines or like power tools, comprising a base; a column extending upwardly from said base; a locating device on said column; a carrier device movable along said column and having power tool supporting means; means for moving said carrier device with reference to said column; feed depth selecting means including a gage mounted on one of said devices for movement in the axial direction of said column to one of a plurality of positions in each of which the gage permits said carrier device to move through a different distance With reference to said locating device, and locking means mounted on said one device and movable between first and second positions in which said locking means respectively engages With and is disengaged from said gage, said gage being movable in the axial direction of said column in the first position of said locking means in response to rotation of said gage with reference to said one device; light-transmitting scale means having a row of graduations extending in parallelism with said column; and index means located behind said scale 10 devices and said index means being provided on the other device.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,202,190 8/1965 Gill 144205 2,318,691 5/1943 Huthsing 77-34.5 661,206 11/ 1900 Carleton 143l74.2

FOREIGN PATENTS 466,898 11/1951 Italy 77-19 FRANCIS S. HUSAR, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R.

means, said scale means being provided on one of said 15 82-34A; 408 -124, 234 

